He pushed the door open and I had to keep myself from gasping in shock at the inside of the building. It was immaculate. It looked like royalty lived inside, everything looked expensive and shiny. Nothing I would of ever guessed would have been in a city that demons lived in, but then again gluttony and lust were a big part of sinning, and that could mean wanting nothing but the best that they could get. I couldn’t help but wonder where they would have found all of the shiny vases that looked like they were made out of real crystal or the antique paintings. Were they originals, or just copies?

He lead me through what I assumed was the foyer to the grand staircase that was straight ahead that was like out of the movies I used to watch oh so long ago. There was a stair case that was on either side of the foyer but met at the top and you could see from where we were standing that beyond the balcony at the top there were another set of double doors that were painted red and carved extravagantly.

He lead me up the stairs and to the double doors. The closer we got to the doors the more I felt like I was walking to my death. Surly there was nothing good behind those doors and I was going to have some serious pain happening to me once I cross the threshold.

As his hand touched the door knob he turned to me, stopping his movements just before he opened the door.

“Remember what I said, stay close to me and stay quiet. We’re going to sign you into the city database and then we’ll be off to our next stop okay?”

I nodded quickly too anxious about what would happen if I just so happened to mess up and say something or walk too far behind him. All these feelings were unknown to me. I couldn’t remember If I had ever felt like this before. I certainly didn’t ever feel like this in Heaven, everything was expected and just perfect as it should be.

He pushed the door open and I took a deep breath before following right behind him up to a desk that was straight in front of us in front of a bunch of floor to ceiling book shelves that held so many books I bet if I had nothing to do for the rest of eternity that I still wouldn’t be able to read them all.

At the desk sat a lady that looked no older then thirty, with long pale white hair that drifted freely down her back and looked like it went past her waist as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if it reached the ground. In contrast to her pale hair she had a nice tan like many girls I had know back in school that would spend all summer trying to reach.

Her features were sharp and bold, but she was beautiful none the less. It shocked me when she looked up at the demon in front of me and she smiled. Her teeth were white and sharp. I wasn’t expecting that, but I guess her features kind of went along with it. I stuck to staying behind him, not wanting to test anything or anyone in any way. He stopped in front of the desk and I saw the lady’s smile grow.

“What has brought you in to see me this fine morning?” She asked.

“Just wanting to get my friend here signed into the database is all Mallory. Can you help me out with that?” He had a smile in his tone as he spoke to her.

She kept her eyes on him as she got up and walked directly behind her to the bookshelf, not even turning her face away to grab a book from the shelf that was shoulder level to her. Once it was in her hand she came back to the desk, sitting down and opening it to the first clear page.

“It’s been a good while since I have seen you here Calile. What would make you decide to be the one that escorts this girl to be signed into the database?”

Calile? This was THE Calile? My mind started to turn and go through everything we were taught in angel training about upper level demons. He’s the Duke of Hell, the devil of space and time. What was he doing being so, normal? He wasn’t reeking havoc on me like you would of expected a Duke of hell to be.

He, Calile, the Duke of Hell, chuckled at the female demon’s words.

“It is not very often that we have someone come to town though, is it?”

She chuckled back at him. “That is a good point, what do we owe this pleasure to?”

“She’s just trying to find her place, you know how tiring it can be to live in one place too long. How long was it you were in Lotushire before you came to Bloodcity?”

“Oh that was a good hundred years or so. She seems to look a little different than most around these parts though doesn’t she?”

I started to worry that there was going to be a problem, and that this was the moment everything would change and they were going to turn around and attack in the next second or two. I started to switch my weight from one foot to the other.

“That she does, but that is why I decided to escort her here myself.” Calile said, starting to fill out the space in the book she had laid out before him with a pen.

She must of decided to give him a second to fill it out without a word. She decided to use the moment to look me up and down, well at least as best she could with me standing behind him as much as I could without looking scared out of my mind, which I kind of was.

It did not take him too long to finish filling out the book and he placed the pen down and clapped his hands together.

“Wonderful time here Edith, but it seems we have elsewhere we need to be. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” He said.

“Oh I sure will now that I got to see you, that’s for sure.” She said with a smile, closing the book and taking it back to the book shelf to put it back where she got it.

Calile turned around to face me and nodded his head in the direction of the door, his smile slipping from his face leaving his lips straight.

I turned and walked back towards the door, trying to fight the urge to run out of it and back int the street and see how far away from here I could make it before someone stopped me. What were my chances that I could get all the way out of here and back into the forest before any one stopped me? I figured that they were pretty slim and that there was no way that I could actually make it very far at all with everyone being able to see my wings. They were a dead give away of what I was and as I saw on our way into town, there was no way that I was going to be able to blend into the background and hide among them.

I decided the best bet was to just keep moving at the same non hurried pace I was going. Better to reserve my energy and save it for when I really needed it than to exert myself now and not have enough to finish what I started in terms of a fight. We made it all the way back out to the horse, I was surprised when I found that the horse was waiting in the exact place that we had left him, but I guess that someone would be pretty stupid to steal the Duke of Hell’s horse.

I wasn’t planning on saying anything, and I take it that he understood that because he just lifted me up and placed me on the horse. I held on tight to the sides of the horse with my thighs as he easily pulled himself up on the horse and then nudged the horse into a trot heading more into the city.

I was happy with the silence. What was there to say? Should I ask him how long he was going to wait before he wanted to kill me? I was so confused. The city scene gently turned into a nicer part as we trotted. Buildings began to grow father apart. Single houses began to appear with yards that were fenced. We arrived outside of a mansion like house that seemed to glow compared to others. He jumped off before helping me off again and then turned and walked up the front steps into the house without a word or a look in my direction.

I watched him before jumping and fallowing him in. The mansion was decorated as pricey as the Hall was. It made me think that maybe he was the one in charge in this city. Unless he just hired the same interior designer. I fallowed him into a room to the left of the entry way that had a couple couches that had the large fire place as a focal point. He sat down on one and pointed for me to sit at the one across from him, greatful that he wasn’t going to force me to be too close to him I gratefully too the seat.

“I guess you know who I am now, huh?” He said with a slight smile.

I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

“I bet in the Heavens they told you plenty about me and my kind, a bunch of nasty stories that you would have you having nightmares when you sleep.”

I shrugged. “Nightmares aren’t really my thing, but I have heard about you.”

“Let me just say, I might be a lot more boring than you expected. There’s no wars going on here anymore. Everyone does as he or she wishes here. Being the bad guy got a little boring after a while. Don’t get me wrong, you should be grateful you laded where you did, Earth is an every man for himself kid of place anymore. I guess I’ve gotten a little tame here in my old age.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“So why did you come find me? Why did I have to sign into your database or whatever it is? Why am I here?” I asked, all my questions falling out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“Honestly, I have been a little bored lately and a fallen angel just seemed like it would bring a little entertainment into my city, Everyone signs into the Database, its just to keep track of the comings and goings, makes it easier to answer questions when its an every man for yourself kind of world, and your here because I want you here. Is that all your questions?”

“Why did I have to stay quiet at The Hall?”

“Edith has a little prejudice against your kind, I didn’t feel like dealing with her drama today honestly.”

“Well that's kind of you.” The sarcasm in my voice made his smile quirk a little, irritating me more.

He stood up and dusted himself off.

“You can do whatever I’m going to go find something to eat.”

And with that he got up and just walked out of the room, leaving me lost on what to do and where to go. What now?